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Similarly named centers go on despite confusion

During the past six months, Ginger West has had senior citizens call her office inquiring about line dancing classes, and veterans show up at the front door looking for get-togethers.

By ELENA LESLEY
Published October 16, 2006

	[Times photo: Stephen J. Coddington]
	Shirley Charters organizes clothes at the Family Resource Center in Hernando on Thursday. The Family Resource Center supplies families with food, clothing and more, which surprises people in search of the Citrus County Resource Center in Lecanto.

During the past six months, Ginger West has had senior citizens call her office inquiring about line dancing classes, and veterans show up at the front door looking for get-togethers.

Regretfully, she must turn them away. West heads the Family Resource Center of Citrus County in Hernando. Her organization supplies families with food, clothing and Christmas gifts, among other items.

The folks she encountered were looking for the new Citrus County Resource Center in Lecanto.

When the county decided to house various services under one roof, it chose a name that proved a little too similar to that of West's group.

"People in the community are confused," West said. "There are two organizations with very, very similar names."

The calls - with unusual comments and requests - started last spring, when the new center first opened.

"I'd say, 'No we're not giving dance lessons,' " West joked.

Even a member of the organization's board called to find out why it was having a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Lecanto.

Calls became so frequent that West pasted the other Resource Center's number in a visible spot so she could easily give it out.

But that didn't stop the front-door arrivals.

"We always answer the phone 'resource center,' " West said. "And so people would call and ask for directions and we wouldn't know why they were coming."

Though she generally thinks the mixups are funny, West said she feels bad for those who actually turn up at her office, especially when they have to travel some distance.

So now folks at the Hernando resource center have been trained to probe a bit when talking to callers, making sure that they know which organization they're going to.

"Do you have the other center's number memorized yet?" West teased a volunteer.

The Lecanto center has had a few confused locals drop in, but not too many, said county spokeswoman Jessica Lambert.

West wonders if that will change when her center's popular Christmas drive kicks off.

"I have visions of Christmas packages showing up in Lecanto," she said. "Then it will be their turn to direct them to us."

Elena Lesley can be reached at elesley@sptimes.com or 564-3627.

[Last modified October 15, 2006, 20:10:59]